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GREEN BAY, Wis. — It is likely Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will remember Friday for a long time.

It was the day he signed what a league source said was a five-year, $110 million contract extension that makes him the highest-paid player in league history.

Of course, that day was a contrast to the excruciatingly painful one he spent eight years ago at the draft in front of a national television audience as he slid from consideration for the No. 1 pick all the way to the Packers at No. 24.

Days like that have provided Rodgers with lumber yard-sized chips on his shoulder, which he openly admits he burns for fuel every time he needs a little inspiration. Friday was nice, but it wouldn't have been possible without that Saturday back in 2005.

"I have a good memory and I'm driven to be the best," said Rodgers, who played college ball at California. "Obviously, there are a couple less critics out there now, but I still put a lot of pressure on myself to achieve the goals I set for myself here. And will enjoy trying to meet the challenge."

Rodgers was the league's most valuable player for the 2011 season and the MVP of the Super Bowl after the 2010 season.

According to a source, over the first year the 29-year-old Rodgers will make $40 million.

Rodgers' numbers work out to a $22 million yearly average, surpassing the previous high of $20.1 million the Baltimore Ravens gave quarterback Joe Flacco in March.

The extension adds five years to the two existing years on the deal Rodgers signed in 2008, meaning he will be under contract with the Packers through 2019. Rodgers had $20.75 million left on his deal, which for total income is added to the $110 million of the extension.

When calculating salary averages, teams and agents usually look at the so-called new money a player receives when he signs an extension.

Flacco had been No. 1 at $20.1 million, New Orleans' Drew Brees was second at $20 million and Denver's Peyton Manning was No. 3 at $19.2 million.

Rodgers' contract is the benchmark, and with it comes the pressure of continually being called the highest-paid player in NFL history.

"I feel like I come from some humble roots and I'm very humbled to have this opportunity to play a sport that I love," he said. "I've been dreaming about playing since I was a kid watching Joe Montana and Steve Young on TV. Now being able to live out that dream and be paid very well, it's also a responsibility I take very seriously."

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Richest cash-value NFL contracts for a season; each player listed is a quarterback.